Display apparatus



Feb. 5, 1929. V 1,701,132

E. L. TISSOT DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet lPatented Feb. 5, 192-9.

UNITED STATES 1,701,132 PATENT OFFICE.

EDOUARD LOUIS'TISSOI, 0F BASEL, SWITZERLAND.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application filed December 1, 1926, Serial No. 152,034, and inSwitzerland November 19, 1926.

This invention relates to an automatic inscription and indicationchanging apparatus, which can be used for example for adverti ingpurposes. This apparatus is characterized by a large number ofindividually movable panes arranged in a display surface so as to bemovable in relation thereto, these panes being so controlled selectivelyfrom or pattern gear operating similar to a jacquard gear, that the oneor other of the panes are moved relatively to the display surfaceaccording to the pattern, thus producing an inscription or illustrationstanding out in relation to its surroundings. The accompanying drawingillustrates an embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 is a side viewpartly in section, Figure 2 is a front view and Figures to 5 showdetails. The display surface for the inscriptions and inijlicationsconsists of similar individually movable panes arranged in a frame ae byside and above and below one another, \lillflll when set stand upsharply against a bacligrouiul and which each consist of an indicatingplate, which can be swung about a iizcntal axis 6 in the frame a from a'ertical position (the indicating position) to a h zontal position outof use position). The form of these panes?) is so designed thatindividually they do not form a complete inscription or illustration,but only by the combination of a sufiicient number of panes Z; does aninscription or illustration which can be varied in accordance with thecombination of panes and their number ap pear on the display surface.

lilac-h pane Z) has an ear (Z (Figures 3 and into which a rod 6 isjointed, which is connscted at its other end with a lever f. From thelever f turnable about the point g hangs a la not rod 7i. Beneath thesetappet rods 7a are matrices c' arranged in groups, which are securedaround a drum j, which for ex ample in the present case has six sides,and carries on each side one of the matrice groups. The matrices securedto the sides o hc drum are each formed with two parallel rows ofdifferently formed and arranged notches i or with only one row ofnotches on one edge, or with no notches at all, according to whether allor only some of the tappet rods are to be left unoperated, or all are tobe raised, similarly as this is effected in jaccpiard mechanism, towhich the present patterning method corresponds. One of these matrices iis shown in detail in Figure The drum y" is rotatably supported. Itsshaft 7' carries a slotted Geneva wheel t, which can berotatedintermittently by the tooth k of a one-tooth wheel 7c. The latterrotated from a toothed wheel Z coupled to it and which is driven by atoothed wheel Z. This wheelZ is secured upon a shaft rwliiclr can bedriven by any desired motive source. The shaft 7* which carries thetoothed wheel Z is provided with a cam disc 8 furnished with twodiametrically opposite cams. 1

The hub of the Geneva wheel t is provided with a groove t in whichengages the forked end of a lever m. This lever m has a throw over ringm which carries two pins m which engage in the groove of a groovedshifting cam a. A groove 0 in the hub of the cam disc 3, in which thelower end of the lever on rests saddle fashion, forms the fulcrum of theforked lcverm.

The cam disc 6* co=operates with a spring controlled two armed lever 32,which is connected by a rod and lever gear 7) with two slidably guidedsuspended bearings g for the drum shaft j, so that the drum 7' can beraised and lowered vertically which it will be understood must beefi'ected when the tooth is is outof engagement withtheLGenova wheel t.The operating suitably arranged with this in View, the. rotation of thedrum j only taking place when it in the lowest position, while afterrotation the cam disc 3 permits the spring controlled lever gear 3; toact on the drum so as to ra'se it with yielding elastic pressure againstthe tappet rods h and by means of the notches J in the uppermostmatrices i to produce the desired selection of tappetrods 71,, so thatonly the rods it raised by the uppermost matrices effect a swinging downor disappearance of the corresponding panes b from the display surface,while the other panes remain unaffected and in their combination formthe display matter standing up against the background, in correspondencewith the selective design of these matrices.

play surface, say the letter E for the formation oi which the panesshown hatched in Figure 2 are suitable for example, then when the drumis raised the uppermost matrices i", i i P'P, a of the drum so act withtheir left hand pattern range, that all the panes b which do not takepart in the formembers are If any inscription is required on the dis-Gil mation of the letter E, that is the panes eX- tending round theoutline thereof, are caused to disappear into horizontal position by theaction of the corresponding tappet rods, so that only panes directlyforming the letter E remain standing in indicating position. Thisraising of the drum takes place when one cam of the disc 8 runs off thelever 20. On further rotation of the shaft 7" the second cam of the disc8 engages the lever 39 and thus lowers the drum j. The pre viouslyraised tappet rods h descend by their own weight and while the drum isstill held down by this cam, the grooved shifting cam a comes intoaction in order to move the drum axially through the lever m and to setthe right hand pattern range of the uppermost matrices of the drumbeneath the tappet rods it. Since this pattern range has a differentform and arrangement from the left hand range, as soon as said cam ofthe disc 8 leaves the lever p and the drum is again raised, analteration in the selection of tappet rods is effected which withsuitable patterning will produce a different indication from the letterE. The first cam of the disc .9 again comes into action to lower thedrum and eliace the matter on the display surface. lVhile the drum isthus held down, the groove shifting earn it also acts to return the drumaxially, while the Geneva wheel mechanism hitherto out of action,rotates the drum in known manner through 60 by action of the singletooth 70 which has in the meantime arrived into position for operation,so that the matrices on the next side of the drum come into the workingposition, and the selection of the tappet rods h and panes 6 takes placeagain as described It will be seen that by means of the drum 7' a verylarge selection among the panes F) can be achieved and that afterselection the picture or indication produced remains in the displayposition unchanged for atime, to be shown again unchanged, or to bechanged according to whether the matrices on the drum have the same ordifferent patternings. By changing the matrices on the drum while the aiparatus brought to rest which can be effected by uncoupling thepietures or iin'lications can be changed without limit.

What I elain'i is:

An automatic inscription and indication changing apparatus, comprising alarge number of individually movable indicating elements within adisplay surface, an intermittently rotatable pattern drum, said drumcarrying a plurality of gl'OllPS of pattern matrices having each aplurality of parallel pattern ranges, movable selectors between saidpattern drum and said indicating elements, means to intermittentlyrotate the pattern drum for positioning one or other of its patternmatrice roups, means to axially shift said pattern drum so as to adjustthe matrices of the positioned group thereof by one or other or theirpattern ranges into operative position with respect to the selectors,and control means to bring said pat tern drum and selectors intocooperative relation with one another so as to cause in ac cordance withthe operative design of the pattern drum a selection among saidindicating elements for indicating purposes.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 19th day ofNov-ember, 1926.

EDOUARD LOUIS TIoEOT.

